Any info on this variation?

Grob is worse than 1. f3.

c4 early doesn't scare me because I've been prepping this weird thing:

And white can't play e4 like in the Grunfeld because the e4 pawn would hang after the trade, so white has to play a more quiet move like e3 or qc2 and it gives black enough time to safely play g6 bg7

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.g3 Bb7 4.Bg2 c5

Pachman (1974) Indian Defences gave good coverage of this line and black was doing well there (equality). No idea why white's statistics are so poor nowadays, probably just weak players messing up later.

According to Pachman, the issue with this move order is 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.Bg5 with a better than usual Torre Attack for white. I no longer have the book and can't give any variations to support that conclusion. But it makes sense, and many strong players nowadays do the same with black, i.e. 1.Nf3 d5 2.b3 Bg4.

interesting...

I think after bg5, black can continue with bb7, and after nbd2 (in classical Trompowsky/Torre fashion I think), black plays c5! with a good position with even g6 coming after e3 or c3

looks pretty fair to me

c4 d5?

4. c4 you just play e6 and end up in a favorable Queen's Indian position where white played the weird bg5

or if you're playing c4 after nbd2 you'd trade the pawns to prevent d5 and then play the position normally I suppose

no 3.c4

3. bb7 4. nc3 d5

hmmmm c5?

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 b6 3.Bg5 Bb7 4.Nbd2 (there is also 4.Nc3 Ne4 5.Nxe4 Bxe4 6.Nd2 Bb7 7.e4) 4...c5, maybe something like 5.Bxf6!? gxf6 6.e4 is possible. It can become a Sicilian where both sides have played non-standard moves.

YES HVENKI

no, not another one not playing the Alekhine

Yay, another Caro-Kann player!